10 Powerful Habits of Ultra Successful People

This excellent infographic is a brilliant way to get you into the right frame of mind to achieve all the goals you are set to accomplish: It goes over 10 powerful habits of ultra successful people and include some real-life cases where famous people have used them to achieve success.

1. They Speed Learn

Being able to boost your own learning curve to a point where you feel comfortable with learning about new topics is a sign of successful people. Just fifteen minutes a day of non-fiction is all that you need to make a genuine difference to your own development.

Simply start by reading up on books that make sense to you and can be the ideal solution to helping you see through problems that you are facing at the current time.

Speed reading is very popular across the globe, and has been used by plenty of highly successful people to improve their chances of success in the long-term. For example, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and George Washington are all famous speed-learners.

2. They Know How to Identify Their Problems

Being able to actually see your problem in front of you is a great thing. If you are able to get to a stage where your problems are more than just a confused equation in your mind, you can make a genuine success of yourself in the long-term. The hardest part is going to be making sure that your problems are something you can relate with visually, though.

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For anyone struggling with this we recommend checking out the books recommended in the infographic. Being able to see the problem in front of you rather than just having a big, scary image in your head is much easier – plenty of big names across the world are known for using visualization, such as Oprah Winfrey.

3. They Set Priorities

Having a list of different priorities throughout the day can stop you either from getting bogged down in meaningless tasks or simply from dealing with the easy ones and then not having enough time to deal with the “real” tasks. Limitations start to create an urgency, as the infographic states, and this can be the kick-on that you need to start being more successful.

This isn’t some weird, new-age idea that does nothing for you by the way – it’s been used by many people throughout history. For example, this article shows you how Eisenhower created a model which is known as the Eisenhower Matrix.

4. They Manage Their Money

Start off by reading the books suggested above, as financial management is going to be so important to your long-term success as an individual. It can take a bit of time and getting used to but once you start seeing the fruits of your labor it becomes much easier to deal with.

Of course, it takes a lot of time and planning but is well worth looking into further as it can help you totally transform your fiscal management and make your life much more comfortable than it has been in the past.

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Fiscal management isn’t just for “normal” people, either. Plenty of celebrities throughout the world – and big name entrepreneurs – got there by being smart with their money. Will Smith is well known for being smart with his money, as shown here.

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5. They Rise And Shine

An easy way to make the most of every day is to attack it – get up early, get into this difficult tasks, and see the rest of the day through. Successful people don’t start at 1PM – they start at 8AM! Be sure that you get the most out of each and every day. Long lies and sleeping in can be done when you have fought towards achieving your life goals rather than when you are nearly there!

Former England and Manchester United footballer Gary Neville is well-known for his old philosophy of “attack the day”. He’s mentioned it a lot in the past, and you can really see the benefits being an early riser has for him!

6. They Set Clear Goals

Everyone needs to have clear life goals and ambitions to strive for – because without them, what is the point? So as long as you have something to aim for then there’s something to keep you motivated and successful. It’s when you start running out of things to see as progress or an achievement that it can become quite tough to manage.

However, with the help of some expert thinking and by having written down goals on something you see every day, you can make sure that you never lose track of where you are going and what the endgame is going to be.

Setting goals is vital for everyone – whether you are on the conveyer belt or you are running a multi-billion dollar business. Here is what Oprah has to say about setting clear goals.

7. They Have a Healthy Diet

Nothing is worse than having an imbalanced and poor diet – when this happens, you need to eat healthier. A body with the right nutritional intake is far more useful to you than one that is flagging and needs help getting through those hard days. Make sure that you eat well and regularly so that your body is well topped and able to cope with the rigors of the day.

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Additionally, exercising on a daily basis is vital to be successful. People who are unfit physically can find it constraining their minds, as well.

How you eat will reflect how your look – this is no more apparent than in the most “elite” of society (although we hate that term). When you eat right, it shows in how you look.

8. They Know Their Strengths

Take the personality test listed at 16Personalities.com and you can really notice a big increase in your life goals and aims. When your own strengths – and weaknesses – are so apparent to you, it becomes much easier to start correcting and improving upon them. Rather than letting your strengths hold you back in the future, make them a focal point of how you will kick on and start to improve yourself moving forward.

This is an example of one of the personality styles that tend to come out from this test – you can see how it relates these personality styles to some specific people that you may have heard of. This can help you get a bit of perspective about what is being said, and who you’re like!

9. They Network

Having friends in high places and close associates that you can rely upon to help keep you busy and in work is never a bad thing. Are you a confident and frank talker? If so, you should really consider getting involved in using those powers to network and build your list.

Pick up the book recommended in the infographic for even more information on how networking can properly help you make friends for the long-term.

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This form of networking – via social media – is so important today, and can give you a chance to network from afar. Celebrities see a massive amount of attention from social media, and you can see how they deal with it in a professional manner to enhance their own career prospects.

10. They Build Character

Nobody likes to fold easily, and it becomes so much easier to do when you have a list of moral rules that you will follow at all times. When you live by a set code that ensures you never break ranks, and that you are always able to look in the mirror and stay true to yourself, it’s much easier to be successful.

Have these principles in place and never deviate from them.

Inspirational people are easy to find, and they are more memorable than your usual person because they actively force positive thinking and change – what more can you ask for from an individual, really?

How to Effectively Manage a Heavy Workload at Work

We’re all busy, but sometimes we go through periods where the work piles up and it seems like it might never end.

You might have such a heavy workload that it feels too intimidating to even start.

You may have said yes to some or too many projects, and now you’re afraid you won’t be able to deliver.

That’s when you need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and start looking at what’s working and what’s not working.

Here’re 13 strategies you can use to get out from under your overwhelming workload:

1. Acknowledge You Can’t Do It All

Many of us have a tendency to think we can do more than we actually can. We take on more and more projects and responsibility and wear numerous hats.

We all have the opportunity to have and take on more work than we can reasonably expect to get done. Unfortunately, our workload is not static. Even now, while you are reading this article, I’m guessing that your inbox is filling up with fresh new tasks.

To make real, effective progress, you have to have both the courage and resourcefulness to say, “This is not working”. Acknowledge that you can’t do it all and look for better solutions.

At any given time in your life, there are likely many things that aren’t going according to plan. You have to be willing to be honest with yourself and those around you about what’s not working for you, both personally and professionally.

The more you exercise your ability to tell the truth about what’s working and what’s not working, the faster you’ll make progress.

2. Focus on Your Unique Strengths

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a leader or working as part of a team, every individual has unique strengths they can bring to the table.

The challenge is that many people end up doing things that they’re simply not very good at.

In the pursuit of reaching your goals or delivering a project, people end up doing everything themselves or taking on things that don’t play to their unique strengths. This can result in frustration, overwhelm and overwork.

It can mean projects taking a lot longer to complete because of knowledge gaps, or simply not utilizing the unique strengths of other people you work with.

It is often not about how to complete this project more effectively but who can help deliver this project.

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So, what are your unique strengths that will ensure your workload is delivered more effectively? Here’re some questions to help you reflect:

Are you a great strategist?

Are you an effective planner?

Is Project Management your strength?

Is communication and bringing people together your strength?

Are you the ideas person?

Is Implementation your strength?

Think about how you can bring the biggest value to your work and the projects you undertake.

3. Use the Strengths of Your Team

One of the simplest ways to manage your workload effectively is to free up your time so you bring your highest level of energy, focus and strengths to each project.

Everyone has unique strengths. It’s essential to think teamwork rather than working in isolation to ensure projects can be completed effectively. Besides, every time you give away a task or project that doesn’t play to your unique strengths, you open up an opportunity to do something you’re more talented at. This will empower both yourself and those around you.

Rather than taking on all the responsibilities yourself, look at who you can work with to deliver the best results possible.

4. Take Time for Planning

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”. – Abraham Lincoln

One hour of effective planning could save hours of time. Rather than just rushing in and getting started on projects, take the time to map everything in.

What are the challenges we may face and the solutions for these challenges?

Having absolute clarity on the project, the project deliverables and the result you want can save a lot of time. It also gets you clear on the priorities and timelines, so you can block out the required amount of time to focus and concentrate.

5. Focus on Priorities

Not everything is a priority, although it can often feel, in the moment, that it is.

Whatever you’re working on, there is always the Most Urgent, Important or Most Valuable projects or tasks.

One tool you can use to maximize your productivity and focus on your biggest priorities is to use the Eisenhower Matrix. This strategic tool for taking action on the things that matter most is simple. You separate your actions based on four possibilities:

The method I use with my coaching clients is to ask them to lay out their Top Five priorities for the day. Then to start with the most important priority first. At the end of the day, you review performance against these priorities.

7. Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance can be tough. The balance we all crave is very different from one another.

I’ve written before about 13 Work Life Balance Tips for a Happy and Productive Life. Working longer and harder doesn’t mean achieving more, especially if you have no time to spend with the people that matter most. The quality of who you are as a person, the relationships you have, the time you spend in work, deciding on what matters most is completely within your control.

Work-life balance is about finding peace within yourself to be fully present, wherever you are, whether that be in the office or at home, right now. It’s about choosing what matters most and creating your own balanced life.

If you feel there is not enough balance, then it may be time to make a change.

8. Stop Multitasking

Multi-tasking is a myth. Your brain simply can’t work effectively by doing more than one thing at a time—at least more than one thing that requires focused attention.

So get your list of priorities (see earlier point), do the most important thing first, then move to the next item and work down your list.

When you split your focus over a multitude of different areas, you can’t consistently deliver a high performance. You won’t be fully present on the one task or project at hand.

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If you allocate blocked time and create firm boundaries for specific activities and commitments, you won’t feel so overwhelmed or overworked with everything you have to do.

9. Work in Blocks of Time

To keep your energy up to produce your best results it’s essential to take regular breaks.

I use the 60-60-30 method myself and teach it to my coaching clients.

Work on a project for a sustained period of 50 minutes.

Then take a 10-minute break. This could be taking a walk, having a healthy snack or just having a conversation with someone.

Then continue to work on the project for a further 50 minutes.

Then take another 10-minute break.

Then take a complete 30-minute break to unplug from the work. This could be time for a proper lunch, a quick bit of exercise, reading or having a walk.

By simply taking some time out, your energy levels stay up, the quality of your work improves and you reduce the risk of becoming burned out.

10. Get Rid of Distractions

Make an estimation on how many times you are distracted during an average working day. Now take that number and multiply it by 25. According to Gloria Mark in her study on The Cost of Interrupted Work, it takes us an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to return to the original task after interruption.[1]

“Our research has shown that attention distraction can lead to higher stress, a bad mood and lower productivity.”

Distractions don’t just take up your time during the distraction, they can derail your mental progress and focus for almost 25 minutes. So, if you are distracted 5 times per day, you could be losing almost 2 hours every day of productive work and almost 10 hours every week.

If you have an important project to work on, find a space where you won’t be distracted, or try doing this.

11. Commit Focused Time to Smaller Tasks

You know sometimes, you need to simply tackle these tasks and take action on them. But there’s always something more pressing.

Small tasks can often get in the way of your most important projects. They sit there on your daily To Do list but are often forgotten about because of more important priorities or because they hold no interest for you. But they take up mental energy. They clutter your mind.

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Commit to spending a specific period of time completing all the small tasks you have on your To Do list. It will give you peace of mind and the space to focus more on your bigger priorities.

12. Take a Time Audit

Do you know exactly where your time is going each day? Are you spending too long on certain projects and tasks to the detriment of bigger opportunities?

Spend a bit of time to analyze where you are spending your time. This insight will amaze you and give you the clarity to start adjusting where you focus your time and on what projects.

You can start by taking a piece of paper and creating three columns:

Column A is Priority Work. Column B is Good Work. Column C is low value work or stuff.

Each day, write down the project or task and the time spent on each. Allocate that time to one of the columns.

At the end of the week, record the total time spent in each column.

If you are spending far too much time on certain types of work, look to change things so your focused time is in Column B and C.

13. Protect Your Confidence

It is essential to protect our confidence to ensure we don’t get overwhelmed, stressed and lose belief.

When you have confidence as a daily resource, you are in a better position to problem solve, learn quicker, respond to anything, adjust to anything, and achieve your biggest opportunities.

Confidence gives you the ability to transform fear into focused and relaxed thinking, communication, and action. This is key to put your mind into a productive state.

When confidence is high, you can clearly see the possibilities at hand and create strategies to take advantage of them, or to solve the challenges you face each day.

Final Words

A heavy workload can be tough to deal with and can cause stress, burnout and ongoing frustration.

The key is to tackle it head on, rather than let it go on and compound the long-term effects. Hopefully, you can take action on at least one of these tips.

If it gets too much, and negatively affects your physical and mental health, it may be time to talk to someone. Instead of dealing with it alone and staying unhappier, resentful and getting to a point where you simply can’t cope, you have to make a change for your own sanity.